“I understand.”
My eyes catch all of my brothers’, and they nod.
“Go. First report is due in twenty-four hours. Hopefully you have something for me then, and we’ll reevaluate this little arrangement again as soon as we locate Fate.”
“I’ll get you something. You can all count on me.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I turn and head back to the office, my brothers following in my wake. Heading straight for the liquor cabinet in the corner, I pour myself a glass of whiskey and chug it in one swallow. The door clicks shut just as I finish pouring my second glass.
“What the fuck was she thinking?” Knox mutters as he walks toward me, intent on getting his own glass, I’m sure.
“She fucking wasn’t thinking. That woman is going to be the death of me.”
“Technically, she’s the one responsible for our lack of death,” Macklin says, and I just glare at him.
“Knox, any idea where she might be?”
“Not a clue. But we should be able to track her using our marks.”
“Mack?”
“He’s right. I’m sure I can figure it out.”
“We just touch our marks, right?” Knox asks.
“Yes, but it might be more complicated than that if she’s left the Gateway.”
“If we can’t find her that way, we’ll split up and search.”
“Anyone else have this odd sense of déjà vu?” Thad asks.
“For sure,” Levi responds. “Let’s just hope the outcome is different this time.”
“Do you think it’s odd that she was wearing a different dress when she walked back into the chamber?” Macklin asks, a curious expression on his face.
“That is odd,” Levi acknowledges. “Our girl hates dresses.”
“She’s definitely up to something,” I muse, my eyes narrowed in thought.
“When we find her, her ass is mine,” Knox growls, and despite the seriousness of the situation, I smirk. I know how his preferences run, and our woman is in for a shock if she thinks she’ll be getting out of this unscathed. Maybe I’m into this group thing after all because I want nothing more than to see her ass turn pink for this little stunt.
“Ok, so now what?” Reggie asks as we walk into the club, ghost girl style.
That’s not a euphemism. We’re literally incorporeal...though we did take the time to do our hair and makeup and tucked our lady bits into sexy as hell dresses just because it makes our little ghost girl hearts happy.
What? We can pretend this is a real girls’ night out if we want to. Don’t judge.
Reggie’s wearing a tight black strapless dress with a pair of killer pink stilettos. Her pink hair is flipped to one side, showing off the shaved hair underneath. Of course, I can’t really see any of those colors because of the whole translucent thing going on, but she described it to me in vivid detail.
“Now we wait for Nicholas to show up. Let’s find somewhere inconspicuous to wait. Like that corner back there. Hopefully there aren’t any surprises, but in case I need to ditch the ghost form, we wouldn’t want to freak out the living.”
We make our way to the back, walking right through the lines of people at the bar waiting for drinks then the crowded dance floor. Some people shiver as we pass through them, while others don’t even seem to notice.
“Hey, look at this hottie,” Reggie says, dancing up on a slender blonde whose boobs are one small slip away from a serious wardrobe malfunction.
Laughing, I point to another pretty girl a few couples over. “You missed that one. Short, curvy, and has the whole innocent thing going for her.”
“Ooh...you’re right,” she says, dancing over to the blonde in question. “Yeah. She’s more my style.”
“Alright. Come on, Casanova. We can play later.”
“Party pooper.”
Chuckling, I settle into the corner, with its thin bar running along both walls, just big enough for drinks and those tiny purses women bring that hold practically nothing. It’s located next to the hallway leading to the rear exit, which could prove useful if we need a quick getaway.
The club is in the busy downtown area about thirty minutes from the house in Illinois. It was built inside a converted factory, the city having renovated the area a few years earlier in an effort to revitalize this part of town. It worked, and the surrounding blocks have grown immensely popular for businesses and city dwellers alike. Other businesses and urban condos have popped up in the adjacent buildings which has helped this part of the city prosper for the first time in years. Maybe all of those real estate agents were good for something after all. At least I got all the city gossip and can tell you whether now is a good time to buy or sell. Super useful for a Guardian of the Spirits. At least my sarcasm game is strong.
Looking out over the crowd, I realize we’re not the only spirits in here. There are a few scattered around the room, but they don’t seem to notice anyone or anything. It’s almost like they’re still going about their work, pulling on unseen levers and hauling invisible items for whatever they used to manufacture in this factory. The ghosts trapped here probably don’t even know they’re dead. My sexy nerd would call this a residual haunting, so I make a mental note to have Thad and Levi come back when there are less witnesses to help these poor souls pass on.
“It’s really too bad the guys can’t see you. You look totally hot.”
I glance down at the deep purple dress that has a hint of metallic shine to it, making it almost black. There are thin slits cut out, showing hints of skin, and it also barely covers my ass. Or maybe my ass is simply too big for this dress. Yeah, probably that. My heels are, admittedly, pretty damn hot if I do say so myself, with thin bands that hug my legs all the way to my upper thigh.
“I’ll have to use that to my advantage once they realize what I’ve done. Distract them with boobs and ass before they know what hit ‘em.”
She laughs. “How long do you think we have before they find us?”
“Knowing Macklin...probably not long enough. Hopefully, Nick gets here soon and says whatever he has to say before that happens.”
“Girl, you’re playing with fire. They’re going to be livid. I don’t envy you there.”
“Reg, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course. But if you’re going to ask me to become a part of your harem, you should know that I’ve refused on multiple occasions.”
My head snaps her direction, and I catch the mischievous smirk on her face.
“Haha. Funny. But you’re not my type,” I say, tossing her own words back at her.
“Right. Because your type involves an appendage I’m not all that fond of.”
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, girl.”
“Oh, I tried it back in my day. Not really a sausage lover. Tacos are more my thing.”
I snort, watching my ghostly bestie as she keeps an eye on the crowd. I realize then that she’s been watching me and my guys for god knows how many centuries. The love and affection, the good times and the bad, the relationships that, from the sounds of it, we weren’t at all quiet about. Then she spent another hundred years without anyone. My heart hurts. I know how lonely I was spending ten years by myself. I can’t imagine what she’s gone through spending all those years alone. Then I get a bit angry, wondering why old Fate never offered to help her find someone. “Has there ever been anyone…” I stop myself, not sure how to ask the question considering she’s a spirit.